Sun and Moon
by kage77
Summary: One night the Storm Hawks meet a Sky Knight named Melanie. They become friends with her, but she has a problem: her boyfriend, Whidow, was captured by Cyclonians. Aerrow is detirmined to save him, but will they lose their own friend in the process?
1. Chapter 1 The Girl, Melanie

With a twitchy nose sniffing the air, a small mouse nibbled on a piece of a cracker, watching its surroundings carefully. It froze as a sudden light shone on it. It gave a frightened squeak and scuffled into a box with a hole chewed in the side. It peeked out to see the intruder. The sound of heels clicking against cement was heard as a pair of feet passed the mouse's sight. It stuck its nose out further, seeing a young woman, about fifteen years old.

She had short green hair and beautiful brown eyes. Her clothes were stitchy, and in the front it had a Chinese-style wrap to it. Hanging off her collar was a small stone shape of what looked to be half of a moon. It had sad blue eyes and its side seemed to be smashed, as if the other half of its face was taken away.

The girl walked up to a bike, unlike any other. There was a rather large space next to it, as if there was supposed to be another bike there. But there wasn't, and this caused grief in the girl's spirit. She sniffed slightly, and then dug at a pouch on the seat of the bike. She pulled out a piece of paper. She turned it in her hands and tilted her head with a sob. She rubbed her nose and coughed slightly. She folded the piece of paper and stuck it into her back pocket. Anger replaced the sorrow in her eyes. She walked to the front of the room and hit a button. The wall in front gave a groan and began to open.

Moonlight spilled into the room, making the little mouse retreat back into its box. The girl clenched her fists and walked back to her bike. She swung her leg over it, and gave it life in a simple motion. She revved it, her expression cold and determined. The bike jerked forwards and sped out of the room. Only a few meters out, the ground vanished to clouds below. The girl reached over and flicked a switch. Metal wings shot out and she was airborne. Off she soared, leaving her home behind…

"Oooh…careful…caarefuull…." "I am being careful…" "Well, be careful..er…." "Ah-ah! Careful!….Whew…"

A boy with blonde hair knelt with a large rhino-like humanoid, and they were balancing delicate plates like cards. A girl at the other side of the room watched, her jaw dropped. She had a map in front of her, but she really wasn't paying any mind to it.

A red-haired boy walked into the room. "Uh-guys? Maybe you should- -" He started but was interrupted by 'Shhh!!' A boy at the front glanced over his shoulder with an annoyed look. "Y'know…the Condor could hit some turbulence and knock your pretty little masterpiece to the floor and on top of you…." He hissed as he slunk over.

"Shredding us…sharp…pointy glass of despair…." He continued and shuddered at the thought. His black flipped to an uncomfortable area and he puffed air at it to move it back to its original spot.

The two had ignored him, however. "C'mon, Junko. Just one more plate on the entire Condor…" The blonde one said. The rhino-boy, Junko, smiled. "Here we go!" He said, as excited as a teenage girl on prom night. The darker-minded one scoffed slightly. "Augh, what happens is not my fault." He snorted and walked back to the controls.

The girl gave a half-laugh as the final plate was balanced. "Oh, my gosh, Junko, Finn, take those down!" She said, her face going serious.

Finn chuckled. "Relax, Piper, we've got it under control." He grinned. Junko had a toothy smile on his face as he looked up at the tower. The red-head laughed. "Well, it turned out good, but you really should take them down." He said.

"I agree with Aerrow and Piper." The boy with black hair said, once again looking over his shoulder.

"Stork, you are i way /i too stiff, dude." Finn stated with Junko nodding in agreement.

Stork scowled. " i Stork, you are way too stiff, dude. Blah blah-yuk… /i " He mocked under his breath and leaned on the steering controls behind him. "You're gonna die under those things." He promised, pointing to the plates.

A furry creature scooted through the door and climbed up Aerrow's leg to his shoulder. "Hey, Radarr." Aerrow greeted. He gave a strange sort of gurgling purr noise with a sort of smile on his face. He straightened his neck and squawked.

Stork turned. "Ah. It's just foggy outside. Kind of reminds me of the time we were suffering most terribly in the- -WHOA!!" He yelled.

Everyone jumped and turned. Stork had a hold of the controls and was swerving the Condor. Aerrow had noticed something. It looked like a Sky Knight was out there. She was just as surprised as Stork, and was swerving as to avoid the giant craft. But they always managed to get way too close to one another. And, of course, Stork was half-right. The plates were falling all around, and poor Finn and Junko were running around, screaming, and attempting to catch the plates. They failed horribly.

Piper groaned as she clung to the wall, trying to keep herself from going over. She clenched her teeth together tightly as her boots skidded on the floor.

Aerrow slammed up beside Stork. "Augh! Piper! Are we near any land?" He asked, having to yell over Junko and Finn's screaming. The girl took another look at her map. "Yeah! Stork! Take us at least 56 degrees northwards. There should be a safe landing point there!" She said, also having to yell.

Stork obeyed and they landed safely. There was complete silence all over the ship. Except for that of a single plate falling to the ground and breaking…

"Where did you learn to drive!?" The girl on the bike was screaming at Stork. "I didn't need to learn how to! That's obviously not the issue in your case." Stork snapped back. "Well, at least I tried to get away. What's the deal with you and your stupid swerves?" The girl spat. "I tried to avoid you so that you wouldn't be splattered on the front of my Condor!" Stork fumed. "If you weren't too busy at your bad driving, you would have noticed that I just washed it!" The girl rolled her eyes. "Ha, even if I had been splattered on your Condor, it wouldn't have made a difference to its appearance." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

Stork had a finger up and his jaw dropped. No noise came out, other that than a slight scoff.

The others were standing a little while away, shaking their heads, waiting for the stupid argument to end. Stork slowly turned, his face tight. "Piper, you speak 'girl.' You handle it." He said and stalked off towards the Condor.

Piper rolled her eyes and walked forwards. The other girl still had her hands on her hips and had a look on her face that told that she was in no mood for any more arguing.

Piper sighed and put her fingers on her brow. "Agh…listen. We're sorry about the mess-up, and, um, we'll keep a better eye out next time." She said in a kinder tone than Stork had used.

The other girl crossed her arms, but her face melted into something a little softer and calmer. She turned her face away, then said, "Ah, well. I'm sorry, too. It was foggy, and I really wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I had other things on the mind." She sighed and dropped her arms to her sides.

Piper tilted her head. "You don't look so good. What's wrong?" She asked.

"She sucks at driving is what." Stork whispered in her ear. How he got up to her so quickly surprised her and she pushed him away. "Come on, Stork. Let it go already." She hissed at him. She turned back to the girl.

"So, you have a name or what?" She asked.

The girl smiled. "Duh." She said and pushed her green hair out of her eyes. "My name's Melanie. And you guys are..?" She asked, holding out her hand.

Piper smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Piper." She turned and held a hand to the boys. "That's Junko, Aerrow, Finn, Radarr, and Stork."

At the mention of his name, Stork made a face over his shoulder and turned away once more.

Melanie nodded. "Nice to meet you."

Finn was drooling all over himself. "Ah, nice to meet you too." He swooned and held out his hand. Junko rolled his eyes with a smile on his face.

Melanie chuckled and shook Finn's hand.

Piper walked up to Aerrow, Radarr and Stork. Stork had his arms crossed still and he had his eyes on Melanie as if he were attempting to burn a hole through her.

Aerrow smiled. "Come on, Radarr." He said to the furry creature and they went up to Melanie.

Piper tilted her head to the side with a smile. "She seems real nice." She grinned and glanced over at Stork. Stork shook his head.

Piper scoffed. "Stork, could at least i try /i to behave around her?" She asked, scowling. Stork gave her a look, then sighed.

"I wasn't shaking my head about her being nice. Her smile isn't real, you know." He said, casting his eyes elsewhere.

Piper tilted an eyebrow. "What? What're you talking about?" She asked.

Stork turned and began to walk away. "Her smile isn't real. You can tell by her eyes." He looked at Piper, nodded, and walked into the Condor.

Piper looked back at the others. She looked at Melanie closely. She was joking and laughing with the boys, but like Stork had said, her eyes seemed in pain. She sighed and cast her attention to the grass.

"Oh, wow! What a mess!" Melanie yelped as she saw the shattered glass all over the Condor flight deck. Finn and Junko blushed. Piper smiled. "More or less." She giggled. Melanie pushed some hair behind her ear. "Want me to help clean up?" She asked.

For two hours, the entire group pitched in cleaning up, even Stork, who used his three toes to (carefully) pick up plate chunks and toss them in the garbage can.

Aerrow gave a long, impressed whistle after they were done. The Condor looked great! "Wow, nice job, guys!" He said, nodding. He looked around the room, and noticed something missing. "Melanie..?" He asked. Everyone looked around, but the girl wasn't in the room. Stork was looking out the window. "Her bike's still here." He announced.

"Then that means she couldn't have gone too far." Aerrow responded. "I'm gonna go look. You with me, Radarr?" He was answered with a squeak and a friendly brush of fur against his face.

Aerrow honestly didn't have to go far. As he was getting off the Condor, he noticed a figure a few meters away. He squinted, and then smiled. "Melanie, what're you doing out here?" He asked, walking over.

Melanie was looking at something, a piece of paper, hidden in front of her. When she heard Aerrow's voice, she jumped and span around, pressing the paper to her chest. "Oh! H-hi, Aerrow!" She yelped and took a step back.

Aerrow tilted his head. "What's that you've got there?" He asked, Radarr squawking as if he were asking her too.

"Oh, this thing?" Melanie asked, holding up the paper. "Ah, just a piece of junk. Old thing about my Crystal Whip." She concluded and folded up the paper and showed him the weapon she was talking about.

Aerrow tilted his head. "Really? Why'd you have to come way out here to read it?" He asked. He was starting to get curious. He had heard part of what Stork said about Melanie's smiles not being real. He really didn't want to jump to suspicion, but he would if he had to.

Melanie sighed. She shifted her weight to her other foot and looked at the grass guiltily. "You got me there, Aerrow…" She said, trying to chuckle, but it was too hard to. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. "It's too obvious…" She slipped her Crystal Whip into her belt loop and unfolded the paper. She then held it out to Aerrow.

Aerrow looked up at her, then took the paper. Radarr leaned forwards to take a look at it. On the paper was a boy that could have been at least as old as Aerrow.

"That's my boyfriend." Melanie told. "Well, that's him before at least. He'd be my age now." She explained, putting her hands behind her back.

Aerrow tilted his head and looked at Melanie's sad face. "What happened..?" He asked in a soft tone.

Melanie bit her lip, crossed her arms over her stomach, and closed her eyes. "A little more than a year ago…Cyclonians came and…took him away from me." She told, her voice cracking.

Aerrow gasped slightly. "They didn't…well…you know, um…" He muttered, trying not to upset her further.

Melanie rubbed the back of her neck and took a breath. "No…at least…" She swallowed, trying to keep her voice clear. She turned away from Aerrow and looked at the moon. "At least I hope not…"


	2. Chapter 2 Off to Cyclonia!

Piper was reading a map, when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw Aerrow and Melanie come onto the Condor. She smiled and stood up. "Hey guys! What's…" Her smile faded, seeing their grim expressions. "…up..?" She finished.

Aerrow clenched his fists. "We have to go to Cyclonia." He said. Everyone turned their heads. "What?" They all said in unison. Piper walked over. "Why? What's going on?" She asked.

Aerrow looked over to Melanie and she nodded. Aerrow returned his eyes to Piper and said, "We have to save her boyfriend." He said.

Melanie nodded and walked over. She pulled out the photo and held it out. "This is him. His name is Whidow." She explained. Piper took the picture and looked at it carefully. She gasped silently, seeing the innocence in the boy's eyes. He had black hair and aqua blue eyes. His freckles made him appear even more innocent. Piper smiled weakly. "I can tell: You've made a good choice with this one." She said and handed the picture back to Melanie.

She nodded and put it into her pocket. Finn was looking a bit disappointed at the fact that she already had a boyfriend. Junko noticed and smirked slightly. He knew something like that would come up sooner or later.

Stork was listening, and he dropped his head slightly and leaned on the controls. Piper walked over and copied him. "You were…right…" She whispered.

A man with spiked black hair walked slowly around the room, his eyes on something. He grinned. "Hm…just about as perfect as I am…" He hissed, putting a hand on his chin. "Looks a lot like I did back then…" He continued. There was a thin person in the middle of the room. The lighting cast a shadow over his eyes.

The man stopped, then said, "We'll leave at dawn tomorrow and…" His grin turned into a wicked smile. "…Take care of those Storm Hawks."

The figure opened his eyes, revealing them to a bloody red. He smiled, obviously as spiteful as the man in front of him.

Aerrow revved his bike. Around him were Piper, Junko, and Finn. They nodded to each other and their bikes jerked forwards and out. As they soared through the air, Melanie came up on her own bike, a determined look on her face.

Stork was in the Condor, a hideous look on his face. " i You gotta be the distraction, Stork. You can handle it, Stork… /i " He grumbled, imitating Aerrow. He tapped his fingers as he approached the red land of Cyclonia. "Ew." He muttered and closed his eyes. He had left the others at their resting point and had driven on ahead. "Hm…let's see what this thing can do while it's in pursuit…" He groused, but smirked slightly.

He hit a button and all the lights on the Condor lit up like Christmas time. He brought a speaker down to his mouth. "Hey! Master Cyclonis should be playing with dolls, not weapons of mass destruction!" He taunted. He got the attention of several people down there. They gritted their teeth and ran to their bikes.

Stork pinched his eyes shut and turned the mike away. "I'm gonna regret this one…" He guaranteed to himself and turned the mike back to his mouth: "She looks like she should be ruling all the boys in a Grade Seven classroom, not all the boys in a giant tower!" His eyes widened and he dropped the mike. "Okay, that's enough. Gotta skedaddle." He turned the Condor. "Oh, please go fast when I hit this button…" He had gotten everyone ticked off and in the air after him. He pushed buttons, keeping the Condor in balance. It gave a jerk unfamiliar to Stork and he gasped as he hit his chest on the controls a little too hard. He gasped for breath for a moment, then went back to driving.

Aerrow and the others came in flying low. Aerrow squinted and saw a wall just ahead of them. "Kay, pull up!" He called. Radarr yowled next to him and everyone followed the boy's order. As they came up, they pulled back their wings. They skidded slightly but regained control and sped on. Coming closer, Aerrow turned his bike and stopped. He looked around. "Not a soul around." He muttered and smiled. "Stork did a good job." Melanie nodded in agreement. "He's so brave. Just like the rest of you. Listen…" She smiled. "Thanks so much for going to so much trouble for me." Finn blushed. "No problem for a pretty face." He swooned. Junko gave him a look. "Remember Whidow…" He leaned over and whispered to Finn. Finn's shoulders dropped. "Oh, yeah…"

Piper smiled. "Let's just hope he can keep it up." She said. "Now, no doubt there are still guards inside. There are five of us, so if we go in groups, they'll be uneven." She told and tapped her fingers.

Aerrow tilted his head. "Piper, you can go with Melanie. I've got Radarr and Junko and Finn can go together." They nodded to his words. "Now, for an approach…"

"WHAH!!" Stork yelped as he made an unusually sharp turn to avoid shots from the enemies. His six toes held him in place as he was nearly thrown to the side. Something slammed into the side of the Condor. He cried out and whacked his head on the side of the table. "Augh…" He groaned as he crouched and held his forehead, rubbing it. He looked up, a revolting scowl on his face. He stood. "Alright. You want trouble?" He hissed through his teeth. He hit the breaks and made the Condor turn. "You've got it." Some of the men out there could see his face and cringed in fear.

"Dark Ace…the Storm Hawks have infiltrated the tower…" The younger boy said to the man with spiky hair. Dark Ace turned, smirking. "That eliminates most of the trouble. I think I'll let you take care of them as a warm-up." He said. The boy bowed. "Yes. I'll be back shortly." He said and walked out of the room.

Piper and Melanie walked, watching their surroundings carefully. "Hm…I wonder how Aerrow and Radarr are doing…" Piper muttered. Melanie nodded. "I'm sure they can take care of themselves…I mean, Junko's a big fella." She responded. Piper chuckled and shook her head slightly. "I know, but they're kinda…" She poked at her temple. "You know…" Melanie giggled. "Yeah." She said.

Aerrow was speeding at the outer wall, looking around. "Strange, we should've run into some trouble by now." He muttered. Radarr gave a shriek. As he did, a boy landed as swiftly as a cat. Aerrow gasped and twisted his bike so that he skidded to a stop just a few feet in front of the boy. "Who're you?"

The boy stared at him, long and hard. He had black markings on his face, and his eyes were harsh and cold. Aerrow didn't want to believe it, but he looked so much like…

"Whidow..?" He asked. The boy gritted his teeth at the name. "My name is not Whidow…" He flicked his wrists and a flail powered by crystals came off of his belt loop. "It's Venom." He moved around Aerrow as smooth as a blade of grass in the wind. His black boots were dangerously silent.

Aerrow didn't want to, but he drew his weapons. "I don't want to hurt you, Whi- -Venom." He told. Venom cracked his neck. "But I want to hurt you…bad…" He grinned and lunged forwards. Aerrow gasped at his speed. He twisted away from his heavy boot just barely. Venom turned and threw his fist at Aerrow, striking him against the chin. "You're slow, Sky Knight." He snapped.

Aerrow used his position as an advantage, and as he hit the grass and flipped around to his other side, he pushed himself up with that arm and landed on his feet. Venom smirked slightly. "Clever." He said and held his flail up. Aerrow grit his teeth together. But not challengingly or threateningly. It was through worry. What could he do?

"Stop right there!" A voice ordered. Piper and Melanie froze where they stood. There were three guards in front of them. Piper leaned over to Melanie. "You know Skyfu or something..?" She whispered.

Melanie glanced at her and smiled. "Duh." She snickered. Piper's face turned into a wicked smile as they took Skyfu positions. "Bring it." They said in unison. Less than ten minutes later, the three guards were on the ground, black and blue. The two girls slapped each other high-fives and continued on. Melanie turned her head at something that caught her eye. "Hey, it's Aerrow! And…who's that..?" She announced, and squinted.

Stork grinned to himself as his finger hit the Autopilot button. "Time to go kick some Cyclonian…booty, or something." He said and his smirk faded away at his lame saying. He jogged out to the shooting deck where Junko and Finn usually were. He turned to the cannon and bit his lip. "Uh-heh. Okay…Junko's used this loads of times. He makes it look easy enough…" He told himself as he approached the huge thing. "Ugh…here…" He muttered and grabbed it. He hit the button to fire and got no reaction.

"It's i empty?! /i " He hissed. "AUGH!" He rolled his eyes and sprinted to grab something to stick in it. "Um…um, um, um, um…hey!" He grabbed the garbage bags full of broken glass and stuffed them in. "Okay." He said and once again came up behind the cannon.

He grinned and hit the button. "OOF!!!" He gasped as the unexpected thrust of the cannon threw him backwards. The back of his head came against the wall. "Ow…" He muttered, trying to decide whether to rub the back of his head or his aching chest. "I think I broke something…" He moaned, curling up and holding his chest area.

"Stork is out…" He randomly took out a thin stick with a piece of white cloth tied to the end.

Well, despite his injury, he managed to knock four Cyclonians out of the air with his shot. The one leading them was peering through the binoculars. Seeing the white cloth waving pathetically, he grinned cruelly.

Aerrow flipped around, deflecting Venom's flail head. Venom smirked as he saw an opening. He twisted around and delivered a kick right into Aerrow's diaphragm. Aerrow gasped, feeling the air leave his lungs and he hit the ground hard. Venom flicked his black hair out of his eyes. "See? You i are /i too slow." He taunted.

Something landed in the middle of his back, making him stumble forwards. He turned. "Backup, eh? There was an entire squad with you. I should have expected this." He said and held his flail up. The chains rubbed together, making a dangerous sound.

Melanie held her breath. "It's him…" She whispered. "Whidow! What are you doing?" She asked, running towards him. Piper reached her arm out. "Wait, Melanie!" She cried, but she was unheard.

Venom swung his flail. Although he didn't hit Melanie, the power of the crystal it held threw her backwards. "Don't get in the way." He snapped. Melanie landed hard on her back. "Ah!" She yelped and rubbed the sore spot. Piper jogged over. "You okay?" She asked, holding her hand out. Melanie gave a groan, but nodded. She took Piper's hand and was pulled to her feet.

Venom was once again battling with Aerrow. "Your name is not Venom! It's Whidow! You have to believe me!" Aerrow tried to convince him. Venom snarled menacingly. "Shut up already! That is not my name!" He yelled and kicked him in the chin. Radarr gave a screech and tackled one of his legs. He glared down and swung the leg he clung to. He flew off and hit a tree.

Piper gasped. "Radarr! Oh, this is bad…" She bit her lip. She turned her head and saw a traumatized look on Melanie's face. "Melanie?"

The girl shook her head. "No…no, no….!" She muttered. "That…that can't be my Whidow…he'd never do that to any sort of living thing!" She said and covered her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes. "What's i wrong /i with him?!"

"So, our new fella is dealing with the Storm Hawks?" A somewhat creepy voice asked Dark Ace. The man nodded. "Yes, Master Cyclonis." He said. Cyclonis turned, her dark eyes as cold as they ever were. "Well, it's been a while now since you've sent him on them. I suggest you check up on him." She grinned slightly.

Dark Ace bowed. "Yes. I shall return shortly, and if not, I will be assisting Venom." He said, turned, and walked out of the room. Cyclonis nodded him out and looked back at the machine behind her, which was fixing itself with a mysterious force. She pulled something out from under her cloak. It was a yellow crystal with black markings on it. The markings resembled those of which were across Venom's face. She smiled to herself with a slight chuckle on her breath.

"Master Cyclonis…" A voice said behind her. Cyclonis's smile faded at the unexpected greeting. She slipped the crystal back under her cloak and turned. "What…?" She asked, then noticed the weakened Storm Hawk dangling in the two guards' arms. He looked up, black hair hanging in its proper place in front of his green face…

Stork was in an immense amount of pain. Not from broken, but fractured ribs. The two guards holding his arms up and putting pressure on his chest wasn't helping, either.

Cyclonis made a face as if she were tired of giving orders for the day. She waved her hand, as if to shoo them away. "You know what to do with him." She said and put that hand on her hip. The two guards nodded and walked away.

Piper cried out as a fist came in contact with her chin. She landed a few feet away and a defensive Aerrow jumped in front to protect her. "Stop this! You're not who you think you are." He said, once again trying to convince Venom that he was Whidow. The other boy shook his head. "Shut….up…." He warned between his teeth.

"Whidow, listen to him! Please!" Melanie pleaded, once again running towards the boy. Venom groaned, twisted around and grabbed Melanie by the throat. "You're extremely annoying, girl." He growled. Melanie gasped and grabbed at his hand. He tilted an eyebrow, seeing the half-moon on her chest. He stared at it, his face fading from annoyance to curiosity. "What is…?" He muttered. He narrowed his eyes and twisted around. As he did, he released Melanie from his grip and watched as she flew over the edge.

Melanie didn't have the breath to scream. Aerrow's eyes widened. "Melanie, no!" He yelled, and just before he lunged forwards, a bike came up and over. It was Finn! And he had a surprised Melanie clinging to his shoulders. "Hey, no one treats a pretty face like that!" He said as he landed. Junko came right behind him. Piper smiled as she got to her feet. "Nice timing." She said.

Finn turned towards her. "Whoa, what happened to you?" He asked. Piper shook her head. "Nothing, nothing. I'm fine. Just got knocked down for a moment." She said. Aerrow sighed, relieved that Melanie was okay and that they had two new people to assist them!

He looked at Finn and Junko seriously. "It's convenient that you came when you did, but we can't hurt this guy." He said. Finn tilted his head. "Hey, he looks just like that kid in the picture that Mel showed us." He observed. Melanie looked at him. "Mel?" She asked, kind of surprised at her nickname.

Dark Ace turned a sharp corner on his own bike. "Ah, there they are." He grinned. "Hm, five versus one…let's see how this turns out." He said and stopped. He watched, waiting.

The fight raged on, and Venom was handling himself marvelously. Not once have the Storm Hawks came close to striking him. Dark Ace's smile faded. "How is he doing that?" He asked no one in particular.

Aerrow shook his head. "We can't get to him! We'll have to come back later with a strategy!" He called. Piper nodded and sprinted off, dragging Melanie behind her, to their bikes.

Finn and Junko got on their own bikes and were airborne as they shot off the edge. Aerrow followed them with Radarr right next to him. His chest heaving, Venom watched them leave. He didn't look at Dark Ace as the man came up beside him. "That was…impressive." He said.

Venom turned and bowed. "Thank you, Sir." He said. Dark Ace nodded. "Let's get back. He said. The two rode back towards the tower.

In an area covered by trees, the Storm Hawks were resting. "Oh, that was incredible…" Piper groaned. "How did he do that? Not even Dark Ace could fend us all off!" She said. Aerrow shook his head. "He caught us at a bad time. I'll get Stork over here so he can get us out." He said. He turned to Melanie. "Don't worry. We're not giving up. We'll save Whidow." At the mention of his name, Melanie dropped her head. Piper put a hand sympathetically on her shoulder.

Finn and Junko tried to make things a little brighter for her, but they could only get a short smile out of her. They sighed and gave up. They couldn't get to her at this point.

"Stork, we're in the northern part of the woods. Come and get us….Stork?" Aerrow spoke as he pushed a button. He blinked. "Stork, come on. Where are you?" He asked. "He's not here…" A voice snickered back to him. Aerrow stared at his speaker like it was some foreign object he found in his soup.

He turned back to the others. "I think Stork's in trouble." He said. Finn and Junko exchanged glances. "No way. Stork may be a nervous-nelly, but he wouldn't let the Cyclonians just come onto the Condor." Finn stated, crossing his arms. "He wouldn't i just /i ." Aerrow said, raising his eyebrows. "Something must've happened."

Melanie clasped her hands together. "I'm so sorry…" She said.

Aerrow turned. "For what?" He asked.

Melanie sighed and closed her eyes. "It's my fault all of this is happening. I should have never gotten you guys into this." She shook her head. "We're hiding out in the woods; your friend is in trouble… I can't make this any worse for you." She said.

"No, but we can. Hands in the air!" A voice said. Aerrow turned, and he was staring at a large group of Cyclonians. Finn and Junko obeyed instantly, holding their arms up. Piper pulled out her staff and held it defensively in front of her.

Aerrow shook his head. "No, Piper. Settle down. There are too many." He said and held his arms up. Piper looked at him, surprised that he was giving in. She sighed, knowing he was right. She dropped her staff and copied her friends.

What would happen to the Storm Hawks now?


	3. Chapter 3 The Twist on Stork's Mind

His upper body screaming with pain, Stork found it hard to breath with only his wrists holding him up. He opened his eyes, wincing slightly and looked at the thick chains holding him. He attempted to pull his arm away, but he was too weak and tired. He gave up and hung limp once more. For several minutes, he remained like that until a slight noise caught his senses. He looked to see who it was, but seeing the Master herself, he dropped his head again.

Cyclonis stalked up to him, two guards at her sides, shaking her head. "Look at you. Look at how weak the Storm Hawks have made towards a member of the strong Merbs of Atmos." She snickered.

Stork glared up, then grinned. "Heh, as if…you guys just caught me at a bad time." He responded. He sucked in a mouthful of air, and tried to put less pressure on his chest by using his legs to support him. It was helping, but was an extremely uncomfortable position.

Cyclonis shook her head, laughing slightly. "You're a brat." She snapped. Stork snorted. His smile was replaced by a scowl. "Likewise." He said bitterly. Cyclonis's grin faded at this. She turned on her heel and strode out, with her guards behind her.

Aerrow was marching with several guards behind him. Beside him was Piper. Behind them were Junko and Finn, and bringing up the rear was Melanie. The girl had her head down, and she had no expression on her face. She was thinking back to when Venom nearly threw her over the cliff. Finn had saved her life then. She was also thinking of how selflessly Aerrow had offered to rescue her boyfriend.

She bit her lip. And what had she done in return? Gotten Stork captured, and then the rest of the Storm Hawks! She clenched her fists, knowing she couldn't let her errors take them down any longer. She realized something: Even though she had her hands tied behind her back, she had an advantage. 'They shouldn't have left my hands together…' She thought, grinning…

Piper sighed and looked over at Aerrow. "Now what..?" She whispered to him. Aerrow looked over, his face serious and strong. "Don't worry, Piper. We'll get though this somehow. Don't give up." He promised in a low voice. "Hey, be quiet, you little-oof!!" The guard in front snapped, but he was hit in the face with something metal. Aerrow and Piper turned to see Melanie free of her bindings. She had her whip out, and the metal blade that was on the end of the crystal line was gone. But it shortly wheeled back, coming to Melanie and reattaching itself to the whip. Melanie grinned. She punched out the guards that lunged for her, giving Aerrow the golden opportunity to cut through his ropes and help out.

Junko and Finn helped one another, and then helped Piper. And very quickly, they were running through the trees, back to their bikes. "Way to go, Mel!" Piper was praising the girl sprinting next to her.

Melanie chuckled. "I was sick of being a burden, so…" She was saying as they approached the bikes. "Let's roll." She said, approaching her bike. She gave it life, and its engine roared. The others copied her motion and they soon were soaring across the sky.

Aerrow hadn't bothered to contact Stork again, since he was expecting the voice that had answered him earlier. Radarr was next to him, and seeing his friend's worried face, he gave a sad little sigh.

In a chamber within the tower, Venom paced back and forth, thinking about Melanie's half-moon pendant he had seen. "It was like…a forgotten memory…" He muttered to himself, putting a hand to his chin.

Outside the room, Dark Ace heard him talking to himself and shook his head. He continued on down the hall, wanting a word with Master Cyclonis.

"Why do you look so worried, Dark Ace?" Cyclonis asked slowly, her back turned to him. She crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.

Dark Ace tilted an eyebrow. "That boy, Master. Venom. It was…it was incredible…." He stammered, unsure where to go with this conversation. "It 's strange. We have been training him for just over a year, now…he took on the Storm Hawks on his own." He continued, rather shamefully.

Cyclonis turned around with an eyebrow tilted and a smile on her face as if she was teasing him. "What's the matter with that?" She chuckled.

Dark Ace got a flare in his scarlet eyes. "It's not possible! It just isn't!" He burst out. He watched her laugh, then put her hands on her hips.

"I may have a response to that…maybe." She pulled the yellow and black crystal once more. "I created this on a whim, but when I tested it, I was pleased with the result of being able to control the person I used it on. Entirely…." She turned, motioning to a man who had black markings all over him, who was sorting out raw crystals. "You there!" Cyclonis demanded, pointing to him.

"Yes, master?" The man responded, turning to her.

"Just to prove my point, Dark Ace, I'll give him something rather foolish to accomplish: Brandish your arms and run around the room, screaming." Cyclonis ordered. The man did just that, but stopped immediately when she told him to.

She turned back to Dark Ace. "See? But, that's hardly the point of this conversation." She tossed the crystal up and down. "I am not too sure of other effects the crystal may have. Perhaps it boosted his genetics to become more enduring, or, in another theory, maybe it was just the crystal's magic that made him the way he is." She shrugged. "I call the crystal the Cyclonian Mind Stealer."

Dark Ace nodded. "I understand…" He muttered and began to walk away.

"Oh, Dark Ace?"

He turned back to her.

"Try not to let you jealousy get the better of you next time, okay?"

He gritted his teeth at her snickering, and then stalked off without a word.

"I don't like that plan." Pouted Finn.

The group was on the edges of Cyclonia once more, and Piper had revealed the scheme she was thinking of during their flight.

Radarr rolled his eyes with a soft noise, looking at Aerrow. The boy was smiling, yet shaking his head. "You never really like them, Finn." He chuckled.

Finn held up a finger in his defense. "Not true! It's just when I have to be bait that I don't like the plans!" He responded rather pathetically.

Melanie's face was serious. "Finn, this is the only plan we've got. We haven't another way to approach the tower! Please…" She pleaded, clasping her hands out in front of her.

Finn blushed. "Now that you put it that way, this'll be a breeze!" He claimed, grinning. Piper rolled her eyes. She turned to the huge Wallop next to her. "Junko, you keep and eye on Finn. If he can't handle it with the guards, you have to get in there and help him out!" She said.

Junko nodded. "No problem." He answered. Aerrow smiled. "Alright, guys. Let's move!"

Stork sighed. "Augh…good thing I have the equipment for situations like this…" He sighed and strained his neck to get something hidden behind the X shape on his shirt. He winced at the pain his chest gave, but didn't give in to grab with his teeth whatever he had hidden. He slowly retracted his head, holding something between his teeth. It was a key! The end of the key, the part he held in his mouth gave an obvious hint that it was a skeleton key. He pulled his feet out so he could lift himself up to where his hands were chained. Carefully, he led the key tip into the lock, and just as he was about to twist his head to free himself, something clicked.

He gasped, reacting instantly. He dropped the key to his feet, clamped his three toes over it, and slid his legs back to a limp position, putting pressure back on his chest. He lowered his head to make it look like he was still in a weak state. He opened one eye, hearing someone come in.

"You again..?" He muttered in a low tone, seeing Cyclonis.

The girl shook her head, chuckling. "You're a foul one, aren't you?" She snorted, walking in front of him and looking into his eyes. "Just the kind of attitude we need…" She lifted the Cyclonian Mind Stealer up.

Stork stared at it, tilting an eyebrow. "What the…?" He muttered. As it began to glow, his eyes widened.

Cyclonis blinked in and out of his vision. "Stork…your mind will soon belong to me…you will fight alongside Dark Ace and Venom…with them, you will destroy the Storm Hawks…." She was saying in a haunting voice.

As she talked, visions flashed through Stork's mind. He was in a different outfit, looking completely unlike himself. He drew a weapon he had never owned…he was fighting. His friend's faces flashed through his mind. They all looked in pain as they gave silent screams. But, something welled up in side of him. He wanted that pain to befall on them. He wanted it….

He pinched his eyes shut and shook his head. "Nuh-no…get out…. get out…." He groaned. Black markings began to crawl across his face. He twisted his head more aggressively. "Stop it! Get out of my head! Get out NOW !!" He roared

Cyclonis gasped as the Mind Stealer gave a great flash and nearly threw her off her feet. She gritted her teeth, snarling at Stork.

The Merb's markings began to recede, and he looked like himself again. He was taking in deep breaths, glaring at Cyclonis.

She gave a huff, turned on her heel and stalked out of the room. She pushed a guard out of her way, and continued on. As she came back to her tower, she seemed a little calmer. She was smiling, even.

Dark Ace leaned over. "How did it go, Master?" He asked.

Cyclonis shrugged. "His will is as strong as Whidow's, but we will break through it at some point." She told. "Shouldn't be too difficult a task."

"Ah, man…I should have said 'no' to this…" Finn whined to himself. He was tiptoeing behind a trio of guards. "Stork was the distraction and look what happened to him…" He sighed, but he knew he had to do what he had to do. He stuck two fingers into his mouth and attempted to whistle. It came out a water 'pllttt.' "Oops." He muttered and looked at his fingers. "What'd I do wrong..?"

That simple noise had gotten the attention of the guards. They turned around, yelling, "Who's there?!" Seeing Finn, they were enraged. "What're you doing here?!" They sprinted at him, causing him to shriek and start running away.

Aerrow watched, hidden in the bushed. He was shaking his head. "Well, it's better than nothing." He whispered to the two girls and Radarr next to him. Melanie and Piper nodded. Radarr shook his head.

Aerrow turned, giving Junko the signal to go out and keep an eye on Finn. The large boy nodded and walked out silently, keeping to the shrubbery.

"Three…two…one, go!" Piper whispered. The group jogged to the unguarded entrance and, after checking, walked in.

"Aaand this is where we didn't think of a plan…" Aerrow winced. Radarr squawked in agreement.

Piper winced as well. "Um…should we just carry on how we saved Dove that one time?" She questioned.

She received a response of 'No.' "After last time, I think they're more alert to things like that now." The boy said. No one noticed Melanie thinking.

She gasped and held up a finger. "I've got an idea!"

Finn was still screaming as he flew across the barren land. Seeing Junko out of the corner of his eye, he began to calm down a bit, but still couldn't shake the thought of what would happen if he got caught…

Junko watched, waiting. "He seems to be doing okay- -scratch that…" Finn had slammed right into a tree. How the heck did he do that? Junko sighed and stood up. "I'd better get in there…"

The guards came up to Finn, pointing their staffs threateningly at him. The pitiful boy gave a slightly chuckle. He was terrified…

Junko cracked his knuckle busters together, watching them glow. He turned and ran out. With a great roar, he threw his fists at the ground, cracking it. The crack headed off towards the guards and a hole opened up beneath them. All yelling, they fell through, leaving Finn unharmed. He chuckled nervously. "Nice timing…"

Making sure that the cost was clear, Stork once again agonizingly placed the skeleton key in between his teeth with only his feet. He took a sharp gasp as he was finally able to drop his legs. He continued, on unlocking his left hand, then his right. Only one of his legs were chained, so he unlocked that one, and cautiously staggered out.

He unlocked the door and looked around, seeing that he was alone. He continued on, clutching his chest dearly. He paused for a second, catching his breath, then went on.

Venom was tapping his foot impatiently. "It's so familiar!" He growled and began to walk back and forth once more. He sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. "Ugh.." He leaned on his hand, sighing.

Piper, Melanie, Aerrow, and Radarr slipped through the shadows, alert of the area around them. Piper put a finger to her lips and directed them to move down a small passage, avoiding a pair of guards. Aerrow came up beside her, and they looked outside the end of the passage. Seeing it safe, they went on.

Just as they vanished around a corner, Stork slinked by, holding his chest. "There's gotta be a way out somewhere!" He muttered, turning around, watching where he was going. He noticed the same passage where Aerrow and the others passed through. "Ah…here's a suggestion…" He tilted his head. "Long and dark….meh…" He shuddered, then bit back a groan as his cracked ribs protested against his movements.

Finn and Junko watched a group of guards. "Okay, ready? One…two…THREE!" They said in unison and sprinted out two ways, babbling at them. Like they wanted, half of the group went after Finn, and the other half went after Junko. Finn looked over his shoulder, grinning at his partner. Junko nodded and skidded to a stop. He turned on his heel and roared at the group. They all cried out and instinctively turned around and began to run towards Finn.

The boy led them farthest away from the tower, span around quickly, and fired ice crystals at them, freezing the entire group where they stood. "Chica-cha…."

Junko tilted an eyebrow. "Hopefully that doesn't make too much of an affect on them." He said, rubbing the back of his head. Finn shrugged. "It shouldn't…"

Cyclonis tilted her head. "He escaped? But…how?" She asked, more to herself than to the guard who had reported Stork's flight. She turned away, flexing her fingers. She cracked her knuckles in a clench, then let it loosen slightly. She turned back, a light smile on her face.

"Don't worry about it. I'll find that rat myself." She told, but she gave the guard a look. "I'm still wondering why you, of all people, was wandering around outside, instead of inside, keeping an eye on that stupid Merb?!" She snarled, her voice demented in a hidden way.

The guard winced. Knowing he shouldn't respond, he did, anyways, "B-because, Master…the Storm Hawks…"

Cyclonis whipped around. "What about them?"

The guard swallowed nervously. "Th-they got away from the group of Talons that found them out…but, a few witnesses reported possibly seeing some of the Sky Knights." He pinched his eyes shut.

Cyclonis crossed her arms. "…Hm, take some men and get out there. Make sure Venom is among you." She ordered. "I, however, am going to look for that little escapee. Now, move it!" She walked down the hall, past a fairly annoyed-looking Dark Ace. He walked down a small hidden hall, away from the group.

Taking around the corner, he slammed into a green face. They both gave out a yell of surprise.

Stork staggered back, moaning. "Oww…" He moaned.

"You!" Dark Ace snarled.

Stork pulled a face. "You…" He twisted around and began to sprint down the hall.

Dark Ace scowled, chasing after him. "Get back here!" He roared. "No!" Stork called back, clenching his teeth fearfully.

Cyclonis had heard the noise, and she came out in front of Stork, causing him to stop and stumble back into Dark Ace. "OwOW!!" Both cried out. On the floor, Dark Ace pushed the Merb off of him. "Oww, watch it."

Cyclonis smirked. "Nice work…we've got him completely off-guard." She snickered and held up the Mind Stealer. Stork's eyes met it as he turned around. He gasped as the visions invaded his mind once more. Despite his attempts, he was far too flustered to push the things away.

He gave a groan and fell to the floor. The other two paused for a moment, then watched silently as Stork lifted himself up, not seeming to be bothered by his ribs.

He was smiling wickedly, looking that more scary with the marks on his face. Cyclonis grinned at this reaction. "Come now. We have some Knights to take care of." She told, turned, and began to walk. Stork grinned.

"I'm right behind you, Master Cyclonis…"


	4. Combat! Stork VS Aerrow!

"Okay! This is the way to the prison chambers!" Aerrow announced proudly as he, Melanie, Piper, and Radarr started running down the hall. Melanie felt her guilt fading away, due to the fact that they may finally be able to save Stork! She tilted her head, seeing fewer guards than they had expected. Aerrow held a finger to his lips and ushered the girls into the tight and shaded area behind them. They waited patiently…

"Don't make a sound…when I say 'go,' we go…" He whispered to them. They nodded in unison and Radarr bore his teeth with a silent growl.

Piper watched Aerrow's fingers, clenching her fists, ready to follow his lead. Three….two….one….

"GO!" Aerrow shouted and leaped forwards. Melanie and Piper had no choice but to react the same way. As they did, their bodies came in contact with a smaller group of guards. Fists and kicks where everywhere! Soon, a heap of guards were sprawled out on the floor with Aerrow looking down at them with a grin on his face, twirling a bundle of keys.

"Way to go, girls." He praised, glancing over his shoulder. Melanie and Piper were smiling. "That was too easy." Piper chuckled looking at their work. Melanie's smile faded. "Okay, now. Let's go get him." She said and walked forwards. Piper blinked at her reaction. "Okay…" She agreed and followed, as did Aerrow.

Radarr watched the pile, then gave one of the Cyclonians a final kick before joining his friends.

"This is going to be a pain. Why don't they have windows or something on these doors?" Piper complained, looking at the heavy doors that lined the hall.

"It shouldn't be too bad. There are only four on each wall here. Now, it would be a real big pain if they had more of these areas." He said, walking towards one door. He tested the door to see if it was unlocked. As it wasn't, he just peered inside. "Nope." He closed it and went on to the next. He got the same reaction. On their fifth door, Aerrow repeated the procedure, this time allowing the girls to look in as well.

"Nothing!" Piper exclaimed, crossing their arms. "Man, are the Talons loosing their touch with prisoners?" Melanie blinked as Aerrow began to close the door once more.

"Wait…" She said, sticking her hand in it to prevent it closing. Aerrow tilted his head. "What is it?" He asked, but Melanie didn't answer. She entered the room and walked over to a small object on the dusty floor. Picking it up in her fingers, she asked, "Does this mean anything to you?" She questioned and turned, revealing the strange key Stork had used earlier.

Aerrow's eyes widened and he walked over to observe. "Good eye…" He complimented, taking the key by its skull tip.

Piper gasped, seeing it. "That's Stork's Skeleton Key! I saw him forging it before we came to Cyclonia!" She told. "I thought that he was just being over-paranoid again, but it looks like it helped." She looked at the chains that once held their friend.

Aerrow smiled. "Well, then that means he's probably wandering out there right now!" He paused, his face turning into that of one that looked thoughtful. "Scared to death, no doubt." He concluded, with Piper and Radarr nodding in agreement. 

Melanie had a huge smile on her face. "Then let's go find him!" She exclaimed and jogged out of the room.

Finn and Junko sat outside still, looking proud of themselves and munching down apples. "Way to go, partner!" Finn congratulated Junko, and Junko did the same in return. "You know, I wonder how Aerrow and the others are doing." The larger boy speculated through a mouthful of apple. Finn nodded. "I'm sure they're fine. Oh, what about Stork?" He suggested, leaning forwards. "Ah-hah…" Junko said, holding up a finger. "But you know what I b really /b wonder?" He continued. Finn widened his eyes, shifting his position to laying. "What?"

Junko eyed the fruit. "Where did we get these apples?" Finn blinked. "You know what? I don't know!"

Venom had his head down with his hands on top. He was dozing slightly when the door behind him opened. It was Dark Ace. "We have those bloody Storm Hawks to take care of again. Move." He commanded, turning around. "Plus: we have a new partner getting ready." Venom tilted his head shortly after he straightened up. Shifting his shoulders, he let them crack. He stood up, still wondering of the moon medallion.

In another room, Stork was preparing himself, dressed in completely different clothes than he originally wore. He had no silver X on his chest, but instead the scarlet mark of the Talons. Grinning cruelly, he wrapped a black bandage around his knuckles. Afterwards, he flexed his fingers, pleased with the tightness. It would make for a sharp, hard, and painful punch. He didn't seem to notice the door open behind him as Dark Ace and Venom entered. He turned, his smirk perpetual. Dark Ace motioned him to follow, and that he did. As they walked down the hall, Stork asked, "Dark Ace, may I have a request granted..?"

Cyclonis was back in her chamber, chuckling. She followed the markings on the Mind Stealer with the tip of her long fingernail. She tapped it, before returning her eyes to the machine in front of her. "Things are about to get rather…interesting…"

Aerrow turned his head, a fairly annoyed and puzzled look on his face. "Where is he…?" He muttered, continuing on. Melanie began to worry. She wondered the same as Aerrow, but, in her case, she was completely distressed and worried. Piper twisted a blue/black strand of hair nervously as she began to sense trouble approaching. Radarr, too, looked nervous, predicting danger. He clung to Aerrow tightly. "Easy, buddy…" Aerrow coaxed, putting his hand on the furry creature's head.

Melanie's voice broke the silence shortly. "What if they got him again..?" She suggested, biting her lip. Piper leaned over. "Don't worry. Stork may be over-paranoid, but he isn't dim." She convinced, but, was unsure of herself. They rounded a corner and noticed someone at the end.

Aerrow squinted. "Is that a Cyclonian..?" He muttered, grabbing his weapons. Piper stopped and straightened. "Looks like it. But the way he stands: it's familiar." She said and proceeded cautiously. Coming within a meter of the person, she smiled. "Stork!" She cried happily and wrapped her arms around him.

Stork turned, his lips tight and his eyes cold. "Hm…this saves a lot of trouble." He said simply, then grinned. Shoving Piper away, he stalked towards Aerrow, Radarr, and Melanie. Piper scoffed lightly as she looked at him. "What's with him…Ah!" She gasped, realizing he had the same marks as Venom did. "Aerrow! Watch it!" She shrieked, running towards them.

"I…am SO bored!" Finn whined, leaning over his bike handlebars. Junko sighed, closing his eyes. "Same here!" He said as whiney as Finn had. They rolled over, Finn falling off his bike. "Ow." Was his lazy reply. Junko sat up. "Oh, where are Aerrow and Piper? They're taking a really long time!" He moaned, dropping his chin into his hands. Finn exhaled and stood. "I know. I know…" He stopped, his eyes widening as a crash was heard behind them.

He turned, seeing Piper lying on the grass painfully a few feet away. "Oh, there's Piper!" He said, smiling. He grin faded. "But she doesn't look too good…"

As Piper stood, Melanie came flying from the direction she had and the two collided with a loud noise. They shot off, sprawling and landing hard, groaning. Finn and Junko ran to their aid. "Nice to see you! Now where's Aerrow?" Finn asked, but the sounds of punching caught his attention.

"There he is! But…is that Stork he's fighting?" Junko announced, squinting. "It is…" Said Piper wearily. She was to her feet and helping Melanie up. "It's the same case as Whidow." The second girl whimpered, being supported.

Aerrow jumped away from Stork, but was unsuccessful as the Merb twisted the second he tossed over and kicked him in the stomach. Aerrow gritted his teeth. Before his shoulder cracked into the ground, he threw his arms out and caught himself, back flipping to his feet.

The redhead maneuvered his wiry body through the various punches and kicks that his opponent delivered, but couldn't bring himself to distribute his own. He had a painful look on his face as he dodged and turned. "Stork, come on! You know who you are!" He tried to get through, but couldn't. The grin on the man's face was so different than his usual paranoid expression.

Coming up on bikes, Venom and Dark Ace observed the scene. "Well, looks like he kept up with his request. Are you sure you don't want to destroy their leader yourself?" Venom suggested with a blank look.

Dark Ace had his face in a furious scowl. "Don't worry about it. They're all going over the cliff. If they're not dead when I do throw them over, they will be when the wastelands meet up their bodies." He hissed, revving his bike. Venom had no response to this as he eyed Melanie suspiciously. Thunder growled in a threatening manner, far out in the clouds.

Radarr ran around Stork's heels, resisting the urge to bite him. What he was merely aiming for was for him to lose his balance as Aerrow directed. Stork glared down as he stumbled. "You annoying little rat." He growled, reaching down and grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and lifting him to look eye-to-eye. Radarr winced, folding his ears back.

This sparked Aerrow's anger. "Let go of him!" He ordered, kicking Stork's wrist. Radarr went flying, but managed to catch himself gracefully. He rubbed his neck, but gave a thankful smile towards his friend.

Stork looked at his hand, cracking his knuckles. "So…that lights a fire in your belly, eh?" He snickered and slowly backed up. As he did, he turned sharply and kicked Finn in the jaw. The blonde yelped at the unexpected attack as he tumbled.

Aerrow clenched his teeth. "Knock it off!" He pleaded. Stork cocked his head to the side. "Why should I? i You're /i not going to do anything." He snickered and kicked Junko in the stomach, while yanking Finn by the hair and throwing him to the side.

Aerrow winced. "Stop!" He roared, but his voice fell on deaf ears as Stork continued to torture the others. Aerrow felt so helpless. He couldn't let harm come to his friends, but, Stork was his friend, too…closing his eyes, he knew he couldn't avoid combat with him any longer. He sprinted forwards, jumped, and closed his eyes as he came at the challenger with a kick.

Stork turned, just before he was about to strike Piper. As he did, Aerrow's foot caught him in the shoulder. "Ugh…" He twisted, then glared back at Aerrow. He paused, then grinned, looking behind him. "Finally, they've arrived." He snickered.

"They? …Ah, man…" Aerrow muttered, turning and seeing Dark Ace and Venom. Piper clenched her fists. "Oh…this is going to be messy…"

Venom seemed bored of the Storm Hawks as he and Dark Ace sped towards them on bikes. He sighed, scanning the group. "Eh…that girl…" He mumbled, noticing Melanie. Interest once again returned to his eyes. "Hm…"

Finn felt somewhat useless as he watched Aerrow and Stork proceed with combat. "Ugh…this is so stupid!" He said aloud. "I wonder…" He rose his weapon up to peer through the sniper. "Ah…here we are!" He grinned and prepared to fire. He was aiming at Dark Ace's tires. His finger was itchy, and the target was perfect. He just needed a little time. "One…two…" The strangely-shaped arrow shot off across the land, aiming for Dark Ace's bike.

The dark-haired man blinked and moved up slightly to see what was coming at him. He clenched his teeth and almost didn't have time to swerve out of the way. "Brat…" He growled, jerking his bike upwards and watched the arrow explode beneath him. This caused Venom to swerve to the side, but he caught his balanced and continued on towards them. He revved and pulled himself further and further away from Dark Ace.

"What are you doing?" Demanded the other man, but he was ignored. Venom continued on, coming at the group.

Aerrow dropped his jaw as Venom twisted his bike to the side and avoided them all. In a swift motion, he reached out and grabbed Melanie by the wrist. He made another motion and tossed her to the side, taking her away from the others.

"Mel!" Aerrow, Piper, Junko, and Finn cried in unison. Piper gritted her teeth and prepared herself to attack Venom. But, a look from Melanie froze her in place. It was almost like Mel wanted this to happen…

Venom stepped off his bike and walked up to Melanie slowly. "You…" He said in an almost menacing tone. Melanie stood, cringing her shoulders in case she needed to defend herself. But that wasn't exactly necessary as Venom's expression grew calm and somewhat confused. "I…need to ask you something…" He leaned over and grabbed her arm, forcing her upwards. He pointed to the small moon thing on her chest. "What is that?" He asked, tilting an eyebrow. Melanie blinked. "What…" Before she could touch the shape, Venom gave an annoyed groan and grabbed it, jerked, and pulled it off. "What is this thing?" He demanded once more, holding it up.

Melanie stared at it, blinking slowly. Her expressionless face slowly turned into a warm smile. "Let me…" She took the moon. "…show you…" She twisted around and reached into a small pouch on her belt. Turning back, she held up two pieces. But, unlike her own pendant, this other one was yellow, and had spikes like the sun. She moved the two together, forming one shape. This brought a low gasp from Venom.

Melanie cast her eyes to the ground. "We…were at Terra Tranqua, about six years ago, visiting. We found a strange little ornament when we went wandering around the town there…this one…" She told in a low voice, her hands shaking slightly.

"We both thought it was so pretty, so we decided to share it. But, then, something happened, and it broke in half…I cried, but you promised me it would be okay, since we both had a piece…that made us, our own sun and moon…" She chewed at her lip as a look of remembrance filled Venom's eyes.

He reached out, touching the sun shape lightly. "It's…it's…" He muttered, but could not finish his sentence as a hideous electric stream shot through his head. A yell exploded from his throat.

"Whidow!" Melanie shrieked and ran up to him. Venom could hardly support himself, so Melanie wrapped her arms around him. "Whidow, please remember!" She pleaded, leaning her head on his chest.

The other Storm Hawks stood, gaping. Even Dark Ace had skidded to a stop to watch. Stork tilted his head slightly, his crooked grin had vanished, and he held the same look of awe.

The black marks on Venom's face began to glow golden, and retreat away. Slowly, Melanie lowered him to his knees, and knelt with him. "Whidow…?" She said softly. The boy rose his head up. His eyes began to literally flicker between the colours of scarlet and aqua blue. Finally, they came to a stop on the blue. He gave a light sigh, dropping his head. "Ah, Melanie…what in Atmos just happened…?" He slurred, putting his hand on her shoulder and lifting himself up to be eye-to-eye with her.

Melanie let an expression cross her face that was so unlike the expressions that the Storm Hawks usually saw her with. Tears running down her face, a smile so big and true, she practically glowed. Slowly, she closed her eyes and hugged her beloved. She put her chin on his head, sighing, "So much has happened. So, so much…."

"What is this..?" Cyclonis stared at the Mind Stealer, tilting a dark eyebrow. The Mind Stealer began to pulse, shimmering in a fast and unbalanced cadence. Finally, the gem grew to an extremely hot temperature, causing Cyclonis to drop it and shake her hand. She stepped away from it, in fear that it may explode. It, however, did not. Its tempo went back to a gentle pace. She approached it cautiously and knelt down. Carefully, she tapped it with the tip of her finger. Feeling it at the original temperature, she picked it up and looked at it. "Huh…" What she did not notice that a small crack had formed on the top of the gem. The Talons in the room exchanged glances with one another in curiosity.

Finn grinned at Junko before glancing back at the couple. Piper had a smile on her face as her shoulders eased up. Aerrow grinned, nodding slightly. Melanie gave a gentle sigh and helped Whidow to his feet. "I missed you…" She said. Stork's eye twitched with annoyance. Unfortunately, what happened to the Mind Stealer had no effect on him. He stalked up to Whidow's abandoned bike. He squeezed the handles slightly, then brought himself to sit on it. "Hey, Sky Knight!" He snapped at Aerrow, striking his wrist on a section on the bike to protrude and extra blade, which resembled Dark Ace's. "If you're done with this oh-so i heartwarming /i reunion, we have something to finish here." He slowly tilted his head until it jerked with a snap. "Only…on Skimmers…" He revved his bike, enjoying the great rumble it gave.

Dark Ace clenched his teeth together. There was no way he was going to allow Stork to take down the commanding officer of the Storm Hawks…his grimace slowly turned into a iniquitous grin as a thought came into his mind…

Aerrow felt like he was being pulled in two directions by raving-mad bulls. If this were Dark Ace he was dealing with, he would have been instantly in the air, ready to do what he needed, but, this was Stork… He sighed, thinking of what would happen. Whidow got his memories back…that meant Stork had that much of a chance to as well. He blinked as he got an idea. Slowly, he walked to his bike and started it up.

Stork let a hissing chuckle escape. With a jerk, his bike took off over the edge of the Terra. He shot up into the sky and circled, waiting for his prey.

Soon, Aerrow followed him. Radarr gave him a look of disbelief, and squawked as if to ask "What are you thinking?!"

Aerrow seemed to have read his mind, because he smiled lightly. "Stork hates riding Skimmers, because they're unlike his Stork-Mobile. They don't have the same safety features." He explained, as the lemur-like creature to his right rose a brow. "So…" Aerrow continued, holding up a finger. "I think that because Whidow saw something relating to his past, he remembered himself again. I'm going to try refreshing his memory." Radarr's eyes widened, seeing what Aerrow meant. He grinned, nodding.

"What crap are you talking, Sky Knight?" Stork snapped, growing impatient. He wrinkled his nose and bore his teeth. "You'd better not bore me…" His sword was now glowing red.

Aerrow shook his head, a cocky grin on his face. "Nah, I'm not obliged to be boring. In fact, let's make this interesting, huh?" He reached behind his back and pulled off a small pack. "No parachutes, no wings, nothing." Radarr shrieked at this.

Stork tilted his head. "Hmm…" He blinked, then smirked. "Why not?" He pulled off his own pack. "I think that we ought to dispose of them, however…" Aerrow blinked. "Why?" "Because…this is a fight to the end, Sky Knight. Only one of us is touching back down." Stork grinned wildly. "Are you up to it? Or are you a scared little child?"

Child…Aerrow resented that term. He narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Let's do this…" He glanced down. "Ah, jeeze, I hope I know what I'm doing…" With that, he turned to the side and threw his 'chute to the land. Stork copied.

One of them smacked Finn in the side of the head. "Oof…" He slumped slightly. Piper took it. "Huh…this is a parachute!" She announced and gasped. "They've got to be insane!"

"Hey, speaking of insane, where's Dark Ace?" Junko asked, glancing around. This sparked everyone's attention. "Hey, good question…" Finn responded.

Melanie and Whidow shrugged. "Haven't got a clue…" Melanie said, holding onto Whidow's hand. She felt she never wanted to let go again.

Whidow, on the other hand, was still confused of where he was and what had happened. Who were these other kids? What was going on? Who was Dark Ace? How did Melanie's hair get so short…?

Piper clasped her hands together as she dropped her staff. "Please take care, you two…" She sighed helplessly to herself. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, knowing there was nothing she could do. She had to believe in Aerrow, and pray he and Stork would both get through this alive. This, however, was rather hard to judge, since Stork had promised only one was returning onto the Terra.

The two circled around, watching each other carefully. The atmosphere around them was tense as each prepared for their battle. Finally, Stork broke the circulation, twisting to the side and charging at Aerrow. The other boy did as well, drawing his blades. "Okay…" As the two came up to one another, their blades clashed, Stork getting the upper hand as Aerrow hardly tried. The redhead swerved off to the side, then put a hand to his mouth, "Hey, Stork! Remember that time when you led us through the Black Gorge?"

Stork snorted. "Can't say I've ever been there!" He responded mockingly and shot in for another attack. The blue and red blades collided and the two were forced apart once more. "Okay, how about when Finn traded the Condor?" Aerrow suggested.

"Hey…" Finn grumbled on land as Junko snickered at him.

Stork rolled his eyes. "What the heck's a Condor?" He growled, shooting a red beam at Aerrow. This caused a sad look to come on the younger teen's face. "Ah man, this is some bad trance…he doesn't even remember the Condor…" He muttered, avoiding the beam. Radarr sighed with a little noise.

Stork shook his head. "You're boring me, Sky Knight!" He warned, clenching his blade tightly. He gave an unexpected jerk forwards, coming at Aerrow with incredible speed. The two collided, sending Aerrow spinning. "Agh!" He cried, holding on as tightly as he could. Finally gaining control of his Skimmer, he decided to call out to Stork once more. "Do you remember the time…" He paused to dodge a red beam. "…when you were forced to perform on stage at Terra Neon? You were scared out of your wits against that tentacle-monster!"

Stork stopped, thinking. "That's…somewhat familiar…" He muttered. "But, that has nothing to do with this battle!" He finished, shooting forwards once more. Aerrow bit his lip. "Augh…I don't have anything else, Radarr…" He sighed. "Listen…if we lose this fight, I want to tell you that there's an extra parachute in the compartment there. You take it, and escape with the others…" Before Radarr could take this all in, Aerrow swung around, just to see a stray beam attack not his, but Stork's skimmer. Stork gave a surprised yell, and swung around to see where it came from.

On the ground, everyone watched this. They strained to see where it had come from. Piper squinted, tilting her head. Her eyes shortly widened and were filled with anger. "Dark Ace!" She exclaimed.

She was correct. The evil man had snuck up on them and attacked. He chuckled, twirling his blade for a brief moment. "Surprised?" He ridiculed and laughed.

"Dark Ace…" Stork hissed turning. "What are you doing? You said I was to be the one to take Aerrow down!"

Dark Ace scoffed. "Well…I lied." He said simply, and continued to laugh. As he did, he shot a final beam at Stork, demobilizing his Skimmer.

Stork was wordless as his Skimmer went out from beneath him. No Skimmer and no parachute, just the horrid wastelands below. He closed his eyes as he began to plummet down, ready for his death, as he has been so many times before.

" b Stork/b " Aerrow roared, terrified. He twisted his Skimmer around and shot towards his falling comrade. Everyone on the Terra gasped, holding their breaths and waiting.

Stork felt himself jerk to a stop. He opened his eyes and blinked. He slowly looked up and saw Aerrow leaning to the side, gripping his wrist tightly. "Huh…?" He murmured, confused at all this.

"Why?" He asked, more curious than angry. "Why did you stop me from falling?"

Aerrow grinned slightly. "Because, Stork, we're friends, and that's what friends do…" He chuckled, and Radarr gave an agreeing jabber.

Stork was expressionless for a moment, as he cast his attention to the wastelands below. His eyes pinched shut suddenly and a groan escaped him. He clenched his fist as if pain were streaking through him. "Stork? Stork, what is it?" Aerrow asked in a concerned tone.

Stork didn't answer as the marks on his face became golden and vanished. His pained eyes began to flicker, black, red, black, red, black, red, black, red, black…

He sighed as his shoulders loosened. "Ugh…" He opened his eyes slowly. "Uh…wha-thuh…" His vision became clearer, and he noticed the wastelands below.

"AhAAAAAAAHHHHGG!!!!!" His scream echoed around the Terra. He thrust himself upwards and scrambled onto the Skimmer behind Aerrow. "Where am I?! What happened?! What's going on! Agh! AGH-AGHH!!! What happened!!??" He shrieked, and didn't stop, either.

In the tower, the fast tempo tore at the Mind Stealer once more. Cyclonis gave a look and sensed something major coming. "Ugh…" She brought her arm back and hucked the crystal into the air. Steam rose from it as began to heat. An explosion rang through the air as the Mind Stealer shattered. "Curse it…" Cyclonis hissed, clenching her teeth.

Aerrow grinned. "Stork…Stork…Stork?" His smile was fading. "Stork!" He flicked his arm behind him and smacked the petrified Merb across the face. This stopped the screaming. Instead, Stork clung to Aerrow's shoulders, not about to let go. His chest was heaving rapidly.

Piper blinked, trying to decipher what just happened. Her eyes widened, then she beamed. "Yes!" She cheered, throwing her fists into the air. "He's back!"

Melanie and Whidow exchanged glances, smiling. Melanie placed a hand on her chest and sighed as her guilt dispensed. But noises of beams and fighting above reminded her of the battle still going on. At this point, she was able to look up at it, and have hope that they would get through this.

Aerrow wheeled around the shots fired, and bumped to the side lightly. "Ugh…" Stork groaned and wrapped his arms around his chest. "Hey, what's up, Stork?" Aerrow asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Ahh…I think I may have broke something when I was on the Condor earlier." The green man explained, pinching his eyes shut and lowering his head.

"Hmm…Hey, Radarr, get that pack out." Aerrow grinned. Radarr nodded and flipped open the compartment. Aerrow paused then jerked his head lightly at Stork. "You know what to do with it."

Radarr nodded and jumped behind Stork. "Eh-what's he-WHOA!" Radarr stuck the parachute on his back and let it out. With a surprised yelp, he went floating back to the Terra.

Piper smiled and Finn and Junko helped her catch him and carry him to a Skimmer so he could sit and rest. "Welcome back, buddy." Finn greeted and slapped him on the back kindly, only to receive a pained moan.

Stork sighed and glanced to the side. "Melanie…eh? Who's that now..?" He muttered, seeing Whidow. Whidow blinked slightly, smiled, and gave a slight wave. "Yo…"

In the sky, Aerrow glared at Dark Ace. "Okay, now, let's get busy." He said, his smile vanished like a puddle on a hot summer day. "You're going to pay, Dark Ace. You and the Cyclonians aren't gonna get away with kidnapping Whidow and Stork!." Radarr growled.

Dark Ace scowled. "We'll see about that, Aerrow. You'd better think twice about this battle. You don't have your wings or a parachute. One mess-up and it's the wastelands for you." He snarled.

Aerrow drew his blades. "It's gonna be worth it if I take you with me." He challenged and jumped up. Dark Ace copied his motion. Their Skimmers approached one another, and the mêlée commenced.

Aerrow ducked the scarlet blade and came around with a kick. This was blocked swiftly, and a punch countered. Not expecting this, it landed across Aerrow's jaw, causing him to flip back. He gritted his teeth and came at him again. Their blades came in contact several times before Aerrow caught Dark Ace at a bad moment and kicked him in the chest.

This almost threw him off his Skimmer, but he caught himself and flipped up. "Agh, I've had just about enough!" He sneered, hunching his shoulders in a threatening manner.

Piper watched the fight, her jaw dropped and her eyes expanded. "I…I don't know when this is going to end! They're virtually even!" She cried, clenching her fists. Melanie nodded. "It's amazing…" She said. Stork watched them, blinking. "Oh…I want the Condor…" He whined, curling his legs up.

This caught Whidow's attention. "You guys drive a Condor?" He asked.

Piper nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, my dad used to own something like that. I helped him with some deliveries. I could go get it. Uhm…that's if you want a fifteen-year-old driving your ship…" Whidow explained.

Stork sighed, shaking his head. "Eh, I'd let you get it, but the Cyclonians got their hands on it…eh, we're all going to die, anyway…" He slumped.

At this point, Whidow had a large smirk on his face. "Nah." He brought out his mace. "I'll be fine." Melanie came up beside him. "We'll be fine." She corrected, grinning. With that, the two walked off, side by side.

Stork's eye twitched. "Those guys are doomed."

"Argh!" Aerrow landed hard on his stomach, rocking his Skimmer unevenly. He groaned and tried to lift himself. He glared at Dark Ace as he came to his feet. He inhaled, and kept that breath in his lungs as he held his blades out.

"Still getting up? You are a relentless brat, you know?" Dark Ace growled, tightening his grip on his sword. Aerrow smirked. "Yeah. I know." He jumped up and pressed his blades against Dark Ace's.

Melanie and Whidow snuck around a corner. "Hmm…that must be it…" Whidow murmured in his accented voice. Melanie nodded. "It is…what are those guys doing?" She asked, leaning forwards.

"It looks like they have paint…" "Ew…what colours?" "….Purple and green, I think." "Ew! Let's just stop them already and get the Condor back to the Storm Hawks." Whidow chuckled at his girlfriend's reaction.

Slowly, they slinked in, and Whidow came up behind one. He tapped him on the shoulder, and caught his collar as they met up. "Okay, listen you…you are i not /i going to use those putrid colours on a ship that's not yours." His voice was low and dangerous now. The Talon was shivering. "N-no sir…" He responded, unaware that Whidow was not a Talon as well, since he was still dressed in the uniform.

Whidow moved back, continuing with, "Now…you are needed in the main hall. Beat it." The scared man saluted and scampered off carrying the bucket with him. Whidow watched him leave, then grinned with an amused snort. There was really no point in chasing that guy off, but it was just funny to watch. Plus, the other guys were down a bucket of paint.

Melanie watched this, and rolled her eyes. Just one of them many reasons why she fell in love with him in the first place. She glanced at him, then, receiving a slight motion, she nodded and came up behind on half of the gang. She smirked and took a position in Sky-fu. There were several light noises of her fingers striking sensitive areas on the Talons' necks, and Whidow took care of the others in his own way... His mace was a rather large support in the situation.

Finn tapped his finger on his bike's handlebars. "Augh…Aerrow's getting his butt kicked!" He complained, worried. Piper glanced at him. "Whidow and Melanie will be here soon with the Condor." She said, putting her hands on her hips. "When they do, we'll boot it out of here." But, she didn't neglect Finn's words…

Aerrow's chest heaved with long, deep breaths. "Ugh…there's got to be a way…" He muttered, feeling defeated. He drooped his head and tried to think it through. But only one thought came to his head.

"Radarr, stand by." He told, and looked like a cat ready to pounce. Dark Ace came up, ready to fire once more, but the only thing he was able to see was Aerrow tackling him. There was a flurry of bodies, the sounds of angry yells, and blades clashing. As Aerrow swept around the other man, he dragged his blades along the engine of the red Skimmer, keeping it subtle as he gradually destroyed it.

Finally, as Dark Ace moved in for a final stab, Aerrow back-flipped over him and drove his weapons into the main part of the engine, causing black smoke to emerge. Sounds of smaller detonations throughout the airborne bike warned that it was going down!

Dark Ace looked down at his ride, confused and downright ticked off. How did he discharge it so silently and quickly? His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice and tone.

"Well, no Terra below. It's the Wastelands for you, Dark Ace." Aerrow snickered and took a step back, ready to flip onto his own Skimmer…

"Not so fast, Sky Knight!" Roared Dark Ace as he reached forwards and yanked Aerrow's shoulder and collar. "You're going down with me, whether you like it or not!" With that, he twisted around and tossed Aerrow off the Skimmer before he abandoned it himself and pulled out his parachute. .

This happening so quickly, Aerrow hardly had the voice to scream.

On the Terra, Piper clasped her hands over her mouth. "Oh no! Aerrow!" She cried out and ran to her Heliscooter. Everyone else peered over the cliff, too shocked to do anything. Stork, still holding onto his aching ribs, was too disturbed to moan his sonatas of doom. "Come on…start…" Piper pleaded as she attempted to start her machine, but it gave a stubborn grumble. She bit her lip, conquered. The group sat there in hushed sorrow.

Junko's lip trembled, and Finn gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "It's okay buddy…it's okay…" He murmured, hoping to sound as truthful as possible. But was hard to sound like something you didn't feel.

Stork bowed his head with a sad sigh. "Ah…" Suddenly, his eyes widened and his ears perked up. He tilted his head as if he were listening for something. Junko began to respond the same way. Soon, everyone strained to listen. As the sound got closer and closer, Piper tilted her head.

"It sounds like Aerrow's-" But she could hardly finish the sentence as the blue and white Skimmer shot up from the cliff and high above their heads. Piper's look of awe molded into a great smile. "Aerrow!"

Finn and Junko gave a loud cheer and threw their arms into the air. "Yes! Didn't I say it would be okay? Didn't I?" Finn laughed, pumping a fist. "WAHOO!" The two hyper boys shared a high-five.

Stork gave an airy chuckle of surprise, impressed. He inhaled, and leaned back, content.

Piper abandoned her Heliscooter and raced to the redhead. "Aerrow! I can't believe it, you got out!" She shouted gleefully, wrapping him in a big hug. "Whoa, Piper, settle down!" Aerrow grinned, patting her on the back. "We'll all have to thank Radarr. He swung in just in time." He sighed and looked over at the furry creature. He was silenced abruptly by soft lips on the side of his face. "Whoa…." His eyes widened. Piper pulled away, beaming.

Stork blinked, his mouth gaped open. He slowly glanced behind him, seeing the same expression he held on Finn and Junko's faces. Slowly, he grinned and looked back at Piper with a teasing grin forming.

"What?" Piper asked, putting a hand on her hip. The other three chuckled. "What?!"

Their laughter was silenced by the sound of the Condor's horn. The great ship emerged from the clouds, and the Storm Hawks could see Melanie and Whidow, waving to them.

A few days later, Piper and Junko helped Stork walk around the ship as his ribcage slowly healed itself. He had tight bandages wrapped around them, preventing him from twisting the wrong way and worsening his condition.

They had allowed Melanie and Whidow to stay on the Condor and drive, until the Merb could do so himself.

Aerrow smiled, glad that they were back in their home, safe and sound. But he still couldn't shake the kiss Piper had given him before they departed from Cyclonia. He glanced over his shoulder slightly and watched her as she and Junko gently lowered Stork into a seat. His attention was diverted at the call of his name.

"Yeah, what is it, Whidow?"

Whidow, at this point, was out of the Cyclonian clothes. He was dressed in baggier clothes and had several chains hanging off his belt. This image totally defied the innocence the Storm Hawks saw in the photo Melanie had given them…

He grinned at Aerrow. "Listen, man. Thanks so much for what you and your Squadron has done for me." He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I'd give you something but I don't know what…" He began to search through his pockets, but Aerrow held up a hand. "No thanks. It's okay." He said, nodding and smirking.

Whidow gave a light chuckle. "Ah…I just wonder what Melanie and I will do now." He said, leaning back on the wall and looking at the ceiling.

Aerrow tilted his head to the side, then suggested, "Have you ever thought of forming a Squadron of your own? Atmos could use a new team to help."

Whidow closed his eyes and shook his head. "That's not my decision to make, you know."

Aerrow gave a look. "Huh, what are you talking about?"

Whidow snickered. "I'm not the Sky Knight here…" He jerked his head in Melanie's direction. "She's the boss…"

Melanie carefully tilted the controls as she drove. With that, she glanced over her shoulder and looked at the two boys, a mischievous grin on her face.

THE END!


End file.
